Just a Dream
by CLH530
Summary: NALEY, Songfic based on Carrie Underwood's song "Just a Dream", one-shot, Warning - character death


A/N: Hey guys! So this is my first story on fanfiction. It's just a short oneshot, based on the Carrie Underwood song "Just a Dream". It is Naley.

Enjoy!

_It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen  
All dressed in white, going to the church that night  
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat  
A sixpence in her shoe, something borrowed, something blue_

Haley grinned as she drove to the church. She glanced at the seat next to her and saw the shoe box holding every letter that her soon-to-be husband Nathan Scott had written her while he was deployed in Iraq.

_**Flashback**_

"_I love you, Hales" Nathan told her as he hugged her close to him._

_Haley cried into his chest as she held onto him for dear life. She couldn't believe this. Her boyfriend of three years had just been assigned to Iraq and he would be gone for the next nine months. She would miss him so much._

_Haley sniffled as she wiped her eyes. "I love you too." She whispered._

_Nathan pulled away from her and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. When they broke apart he rested his forehead against hers. "Marry me Haley… when I get back from Iraq in June. You'll be 18."_

_Haley looked at him in shock. "Really?" she asked as she allowed the grin to spread across her face. Nathan nodded. "Yes!" Haley exclaimed. "I love you Nathan Royal Scott, and as soon as you get home I will be Mrs. Scott."_

_Nathan laughed in excitement as he twirled Haley around in his arms. The next nine months would be hard for both of them; Haley finishing her senior year of high school, and Nathan serving his country in Iraq, but their love could survive anything._

**End Flashback**

_And when the church doors opened up wide  
She put her veil down, trying to hide the tears  
Oh she just couldn't believe it  
She heard the trumpets from the military band  
And the flowers fell out of her hands_

The ceremony was beautiful. Haley hid her face behind her veil in an attempt to hide her tears of joy. She couldn't wait to start her life with Nathan. He had one more year left in the army and then they could be together forever and always.

They had two weeks for their honeymoon and then Nathan would head back to Iraq for his last deployment. Then six months later he would be back in the states and their life together could finally begin.

_Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream_

Haley sat in her darkened bedroom crying. The curtains were shut preventing the sunlight from shining into the room and the lights were turned off.

"God damn it Nathan!" she screamed, "Why did you leave me!?" She fell back onto the mattress and curled herself into a ball, trying to soothe the ache in her chest.

_**Flashback**_

_"No way! George Clooney is so much hotter than Keanu Reeves!" Brooke exclaimed as she pointed an accusing finger at Peyton. _

_Haley laughed as she watched her two best friends bicker over which celebrity was hotter. She looked around her apartment and smiled as she saw her and Nathan's wedding picture hung above the mantle._

_"Oh you shut up Mrs. Scott," Peyton said as she flung a pillow at her. "Who do you think is hotter?"_

_"Neither," Haley told them grinning. "Brad Pitt is way hotter."_

_Brooke and Peyton nodded their heads in agreement. "Fine," Brooke huffed, "You win this time."_

_As they continued to discuss male celebrities the doorbell rang. Haley stood up, with her mug of coffee, to answer it as Brooke and Peyton continued to talk._

_Haley's mouth fell in shock as she saw two men dressed in military uniforms standing in front of her, and she dropped her mug, shattering it on the hardwood floors. This caught Brooke and Peyton's attention as they hurried over to the door. _

_The men on the doorstep removed their hats as Brooke reached for Haley's hand. "Mrs. Scott?" one of the men questioned._

_"Yes?" Haley answered anxiously. "Has something happened to Nathan?" Tears began to pool in her eyes._

_"I'm sorry Mrs. Scott, but Nathan's car ran over a road bomb. There were no survivors…."_

_He continued to talk but Haley couldn't hear anything. Her knees went weak as tears began streaming down her face. "No." she whispered disbelievingly as her knees gave out and Brooke and Peyton caught her. "No!" She screamed as they half drug her to the couch. Haley didn't know how her life could continue without Nathan by her side._

**End Flashback**

Brooke knocked on Haley's bedroom door, and then quietly let herself into the room. Haley was lying on the bed wrapped in one of Nathan's button up shirts. Brooke felt her heart break for her friend.

"Haley." She whispered. When Haley made no response Brooke walked over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Come on honey," Brooke said quietly, "We need to get you ready."

Haley silently nodded her head as she stood and allowed Brooke to dress her in a black dress and black flats. Brooke ran a brush through Haley's hair as she stared at Haley's broken reflection in the mirror. Brooke set the brush down and wiped away a tear that had fallen.

She took Haley's hand as she led her to the car, to drive to the church for Nathan's funeral. Across the street Haley noticed two of her neighbors standing together whispering and looking at her sympathetically. Haley thought she heard one of them whisper, "It's a shame. They are so young, and now he will never be coming home."

They arrived at the church, the same church they had married in. Haley smiled slightly as she remembered that day, three months ago. It was such a happy time, and now there was nothing but sadness about this place.

Haley and Brooke took their seats in the front pew. Next to the closed casket was a picture of Nathan smiling in his army uniform and a picture of Nathan and Haley on their wedding day. Brooke wrapped her arm around Haley's shoulders as she heard her begin to cry.

_The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray  
Lord please lift his soul and heal this hurt  
Then the congregation all stood up  
And sang the saddest song that she ever heard_

The preacher walked to the podium and said, "Let us bow our heads to pray. Lord lift his soul and heal this hurt."

Crying could be heard around the church as the congregation stood up and sang one of the saddest songs Haley had ever heard.

Finally the casket was taken to the hearse, and the funeral procession began. Haley sat silently in the car with Brooke and Peyton. No one talked as they followed the hearse to the cemetery.

_Then they handed her a folded up flag  
And she held on to all she had left of him  
Oh and what could have been  
And then the guards rang one last shot  
And it felt like a bullet in her heart_

Haley stood beside the casket with Nathan's brother Lucas. The preacher said a few words, and then a man from the military stepped forward and handed Haley a folded up flag. Haley began to sob as the gunshots from the guards rang out, and Nathan's body was lowered into the ground. Haley clutched her chest as she sunk to the ground, feeling as if she had just been shot.

Haley sat in front of Nathan's opened grave crying as everyone else began to silently leave. Brooke squeezed Haley's shoulder as she and Peyton walked back to the car to give Haley some privacy to grieve.

Haley clutched the flag tightly, one of the last things she had left to remember Nathan. "Why did you leave me!?" Haley shouted as she banged her fist on the ground. "Why did you have to go!? I was counting on forever! Now I'll never know."

She continued to sob, trying to steady her breathing which was coming out ragged. "It's like I'm looking from a distance, standing in the background, and everyone's saying you're not coming home now. This can't be happening to me! This is just a dream!" Haley screamed as she continued to cry, clutching the folded up flag for dear life.

As her sobs subsided Haley stood up and whispered. "I love you Nathan, always and forever." She made her way to the car where Brooke and Peyton were waiting. She hugged them both and then climbed into the backseat, ready to go back to her apartment. As they drove away, Haley let silent tears slide down her face as she watched them throw the dirt on top of Nathan's casket.

_Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream_

Please review!


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